Joseph Nunan
| Joseph Denis Nunan | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 1842 Rathcormac, County Cork |
| Died |
18 May 1885 (aged 43) Perth |
| Cause of death | tuberculosis |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Occupation | Building contractor |
| Known for | Architecture |
Joseph Denis Nunan (some say Noonan) (February 1842 – 18 May 1885) was an Irish born patriot and builder transported to Fremantle for wounding a policeman. He became an architect and building contractor involved in significant buildings in Perth and Fremantle. He never gave up his Fenian beliefs and died before he could return to Ireland.
Nunan was born in Rathcormac, a small town in north County Cork where he learnt the building trade from his father Denis Noonan. Joseph and his brother Frank established a building company that was able to successfully contract for the construction of buildings locally and in County Kerry.
Nunan became a member of the Fenian Brotherhood in 1864. This was an Irish patriot organisation who were trying to establish Ireland as a country that was not under the rule of Great Britain. Nunan was named as a suspect when Constable William Duggan, who was carrying messages, was shot near Glenbeigh in February 1867. Nunan fled to England, but he was identified and arrested in London by an Irish policeman. He escaped on the return railway trip to Dublin by jumping through the window of a train reputedly travelling at 40 or 50 miles per hour leaving behind his two escorts. Nunan was again apprehended near Atherstone and taken back to Ireland.
At his trial in Tralee there were pleas of mercy for him, in particular, and Nunan was sent to Australia for seven years on 8 August 1867. During the voyage Nunan wrote humorously for the ship's newspaper (The Wild Goose) about his escape from the train and he also organised social events for his fellow convicts. The newspaper was issued and read aloud weekly on board. There were over 250 convicts aboard the Hougoumont; more than sixty of these were fellow Irish nationalists. Most of these were there as a result of the March 1867 abortive Fenian Rising. Nunan was taken to the convict establishment in Fremantle where he had to remain until 1869. In May the British Government under William Gladstone decided on a more conciliatory approach to Irish politics and Nunan was amongst those who were pardoned. Nunan could have returned to County Kerry but he elected to remain in Western Australia. Nunan was already known as an expert in design and he had been approached by Father Patrick Gibney who was the new resident priest in York to build a new larger church for his growing congregation.
...
Wikipedia